These six freestanding columns were once part of the first building on the University of Missouri campus, which also happened to be the first public university building west of the Mississippi River: the Academic Hall. The historic hall burned down in 1892, and all that remained were the columns. Soon after the fire, there was a plan to tear down the columns, but a large public outcry stopped the plan. Today, they are one of the most recognized attractions in the city of Columbia, and a symbol of the school.